Tech trends that ruled in 2023, and what to expect in 2024?

In the realm of technology, each year brings a new wave of innovations and trends that captivate the market and shape the digital landscape.

The year 2023 was no exception, as it witnessed a convergence of various technologies that not only transformed how we interact with digital platforms, but also set the pace for upcoming tech advancements in 2024.

The CEO Magazine sought out expert opinions from tech savvy experts on what tech trends ruled in 2023, and what to expect in 2024.

Telecom sector

Ms Irene Kaggwa Ssewankambo, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Director of Engineering and Communications Infrastructure has set her eyes on the rollout of 5G technology which started mid last year, and will continue to expand, facilitating faster data transmission.

The 5G network enables real-time processing and analysis of data closer to the source, empowering Internet of Things (IoT) devices and paving the way for autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and enhanced connectivity in remote areas.

Ms Kaggwa says 5G roll out world over is driven by use cases unlike the earlier generations.

“You can also expect to see 5G extended to some other major cities in Uganda outside of Kampala though but not yet to the same scale as the other technologies,” Ms Kaggwa notes.

The prediction is that while geographical coverage of mobile networks will certainly increase significantly during 2024, this will be more of the more commonly used technologies in terms of phones used in Uganda – 2G, 3G and 4G.

Telecoms have largely maintained a business case for 5G technology, and therefore, David Birungi, the Airtel Uganda Public Relations Manager says more penetration of 5G and application is expected in productive spheres like manufacturing and commercial agriculture.

4G technology is expected to continue to grow in e-learning and healthcare sectors. Stronger ICT partnerships such as terminal devices, data centres and shared services are expected in 2024.

A new development that the former UCC executive director also revealed is the uptake of satellite technology- a development that the Communications regulator has kept away from the public glare.

UCC is finalising plans to attract space satellite companies in the telecom sector that will partner with local operators to promote more connectivity and ICT use cases including mobile phones in Uganda.

“Technology trends are really around improving the fourth industrial revolution in terms of the customer or user experience – virtual reality, speeds, improving system efficiency, demonstrating the greening factor of climate change, and greater data analytics using generative artificial intelligence,” Kaggwa explains.

Artificial intelligence to rule in content creation

Isaac Odong, a Digital Marketing Executive at Service Cops gives an analysis of how social media evolved at a breakneck pace in 2023, with platforms increasingly integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven features to enhance user experience – and what to expect in 2024.

Odong observes that one of the most significant trends has been the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-curated content feeds, which use sophisticated algorithms to personalise the content displayed to users, thereby increasing engagement and time spent on these platforms.

As users seek more authentic and relatable content, the popularity of short-form videos, such as ‘reels’ and ‘shorts’, continue to surge.

These bite-sized videos provide a platform for creators to express themselves in a concise and engaging manner, leading to a proliferation of viral content.

Conversational chatbots which experienced a renaissance in 2023, and continue to be more nuanced and human-like thanks to advances in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning.

This is expected to cross into 2024 as businesses utilise chatbots across social media and websites to provide real-time customer service, driving efficiency and improving customer satisfaction.

These bots have become adept at handling complex queries, making them virtually indistinguishable from human operators in certain contexts and aspects.

Online advertising saw a significant shift towards personalization and interactivity with advertisers harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in 2023 to create dynamic ads that resonate with individual users, often using real-time data to tailor messages to specific demographics and behaviors.

These interactive ads are set to continue being a staple in 2024, inviting users to engage with the content especially for brands seeking to stand out in a crowded digital marketplace.

The phenomenon of AI voices took center stage in 2023, as synthetic voice technology reached new heights of realism.

Brands started adopting AI-generated voices for marketing campaigns, customer service, and even content creation, offering a cost-effective and scalable alternative to human voice actors.

The technology has opened up new possibilities for personalized audio content and multilingual support.

WhatsApp, the ubiquitous messaging platform, dipped its toes into the world of advertising, albeit cautiously.

By offering businesses new ways to connect with customers through targeted advertising but for business accounts, messages and catalogs within the app, WhatsApp created a new paradigm for mobile commerce and customer engagement.

In the realm of website development, AI played an instrumental role in automating design and content generation.

AI-powered website builders have enabled entrepreneurs and small businesses to create professional-looking sites with minimal effort, democratizing web presence and reducing barriers to entry.

What more will change?
Looking ahead to 2024, several emerging tech trends are poised to capture the zeitgeist.

One such trend is the integration of augmented reality (AR) into social media platforms, offering users immersive experiences and new ways to interact with content.

Augmented Reality filters and virtual try-ons are expected to become more sophisticated, blurring the lines between the digital and physical worlds.

Another anticipated trend is the further expansion of artificial intelligence in content creation, where generative AI could assist in producing not just text, but also images, videos, and music, potentially revolutionizing the creative industries.

As these tools become more accessible, we can expect a surge in user-generated content that is both high-quality and diverse.

The partnership between ‘X’ and Google for advertising, which remains under wraps due to confidentiality, is speculated to be a game-changer for online marketing.

This collaboration is likely to leverage ‘X’s proprietary technology and Google’s extensive ad network to deliver unprecedented targeting capabilities and analytics, reshaping the advertising ecosystem.

Moses Namara, a US- based Tech Researcher says generative AI tools for images such as MidJourney, DALLE-3, Firefly, Stable Diffusion have made it easier for people to generate images based on text inputs to the best of their imaginations.

They are not without their problems especially to deal with copyright issues and artist compensation.

“Hopefully a lot more useful applications of AI tools rather than amusement of what they are capable of but how people can actually apply and use them in their daily work flows,” Namara says.

Denis Guma, a Lecturer and Business Incubation Consultant at Birmingham City University, UK points out that the final frontier will be companies such as Neuralink completing the connection between ‘our’ brains and artificial intelligence amidst other breakthroughs in robotics, space tech / space exploration.

The Gadget market

Samsung’s dominance as the global leader in handset shipments was cut short this year by Apple.

Apple drove the shifting of power at the top of the largest consumer electronics market driven by an all-time high market share.

Stanley Ssempijja at Sage Buyers, an Iphone retail shop in Kampala explains that in the tech realm, 2023 delivered the iPhone 15 Pro Max, a true marvel from Apple.

Sporting a slick new design and a snazzy type C charger, it boasts a 25x zoom capacity that’s practically photographic magic and a reverse charging feature.

Not stopping there, Apple also unleashed the M3 MacBooks upon the world, elevating the game from the M2 with a faster, sleeker design, and a notch reduction – well, who needs a bulky notch cramping their style?

And let’s not forget the AirPods Pro, now with the convenience of type C charging.

Fast forward to 2024, Sempijja forecasts that tech savvy consumers’ anticipation runs high for the iPhone 16.

“We’re crossing our fingers for a design that shouts new and exciting at first glance,” he says.

China’s Huawei tech giant is yet to make announcements on the new trends for 2024, but a Huawei executive based in Uganda the company is set to rollout its plans in February at the start of the Chinese New Year.

Happy Tech-24!